Acid Reflux Cause – What Causes Heartburn?

Do you feel a burning sensation in your chest or throat after eating a heavy meal or when you lift objects, bend over, or lie down? If your answer is yes, you are suffering from acid reflux. Other terms for this are ‘heartburn’ and ‘gastroesophageal reflux disease’ or ‘GERD.’ You will also experience sore throat, hiccups, or vomiting, though they are not so common.

If you want to treat this stomach problem, the first thing that you need to do is to identify the main cause. There have been many discussions about this stomach issue but they always point their fingers to poor diet and eating habits. To further inform you about it, read the following reasons for having heartburn.

• One main cause of GERD is eating too much acidic, fatty, and caffeinated food. Or just plain overeating. This especially happens on holidays when there are so many different kinds of foods to eat and you go to different parties. Sometimes, you forget to control yourself because you get caught in the holiday atmosphere. Or sometimes, when you feel depressed and lonely, you take out all your sadness on one big slice of chocolate cake and a pint of ice cream. This is a common acid reflux cause.

• Being overweight or obese also leads to this problem. Researchers found out a direct relationship between obesity and GERD. The explanation behind this is that the esophagus and stomach have to support the excess weight of a fat person, which is another acid reflux cause. If you are a bit overweight, you should try to exercise regularly to shed those extra pounds. Or you should engage in sports such as tennis or swimming. Anything just to make yourself more active.

• There is also a bigger chance that you will suffer from this problem if you smoke or drink a lot, if you take certain kinds of medications, and if you are allergic to some types of foods.

The secret to prevent this is to have a healthy lifestyle. You should also understand how your body works to become healthier and free from these kinds of health problems.